Atacious
by Kat0898
Summary: Atacious, daughter of Poseidon, discovers that she is a princess of a small kingdom. She is sent on a journey to protect her kingdom from her brother's, Daleous', tyrannical rule. Short journey; written for my English class.


**Atacious**

Many years ago in Ancient Greece, a girl named Atacious lived with an old woman in an olive-wood

cottage on the coast of the Greek mainland. They lived on a small farm with only the chickens and pigs to keep

them company. Late one evening, the women heard a knocking at their door.

"Good evening, ladies," a messenger clad in gold and bronze said to Atacious and the old woman. The

woman inclined her head. "May I come in?" he asked, "I have much to tell you, madame." The older lady smiled

and let this strange messenger into her house. She sent Atacious away to bed, and then she sat down with the

messenger by the fireside.

"What are you doing here, nephew?" the woman said as she shimmered and changed into the goddess

Hecate. The messenger smiled grimly then morphed into his godly form as well.

"Aunt, I am here to bring Atacious back to her home in the kingdom. Her brother, Daleous, is following

in his father's footsteps. Atacious is old enough now to stop his tyrannical rule," Hermes said. Little did the

deities know, Atacious had been listening in at the doorway. Afraid to be sent away, Atacious ran away and threw

herself into a small boat on the beach and pushed off into the Aegean Sea. When Atacious could hardly see the

shore and it was nearing dawn, a large god-like man rose from the sea. Atacious threw herself back onto her boat

in fear.

"Atacious," the large man said, "do not fear me." Atacious shivered then clambered onto her knees in a

kneel in front of the god Poseidon. "You have no need to kneel to me, child. I am not here to cause you harm."

Atacious then regained her ability to speak, "If you are not here to cause me harm, why did you appear

to me?"

Poseidon then let out a hardy laugh, "Oh child, do you believe that I ought not visit my own daughter?"

Atacious' face said everything that needed to be said. "I know you are afraid to go away from this place, the only

place you have ever known as home, but you are the only one able to save the kingdom. It is _your _kingdom,

Atacious; save it."

"With you watching me, I can. Help me Father. Help me if you pity your daughter's cowardice." With

that Poseidon nodded and disappeared beneath the waves. After steeling herself, Atacious rowed back to the

coast, where Hecate and Hermes were waiting for her.

"Dear, your father wanted you to have this," Hecate said and handed Atacious a silver trident. Before she

could take the trident, Hecate conducted much magic through it. Hermes extended his hand to Atacious as

Hecate strapped a sword and scabbard around her waist. She handed Atacious a silver shield as Atacious

squirmed in the saddle on Hermes' horse. Hermes kicked the horse, and it ran into the dark forest, misty with the

rising dew. Atacious turned around in the saddle and saw Hecate gently waving back to her.

* * *

Once the traveling pair could see the northern edge of the forest, Hermes left Atacious with a pair of his

winged sandals and the horse. After traveling a few more minutes, Atacious dismounted the horse and was

immediately knocked to the ground by a mass of emerald scales. She turned around to see a five-headed beast

not two yards from her. Atacious pulled her sword from it's scabbard and ripped it through the sinews and

muscles of the five Hydra heads. Believing that she had defeated the beast, Atacious remounted the horse. The

moment before she clicked the reigns, two scaly shafts encircled her and lifted her high into the air. She craned

her neck around enough to see her assailant and saw a doubly-re-headed Hydra preparing to eat her. Holding her

trident aloft, Atacious electrocuted the Hydra by zapping it with her trident. The lifeless Hydra heads fell to the

ground, pulling Atacious along with them. The heads hit the ground and Atacious' head hit one of the Hydra's

skulls, causing her to be knocked out.

* * *

When Atacious awoke, she saw a tall fur and leather clad woman standing above her. The woman put her

hand out to help Atacious up from the ground where she lay. "Hello, Cousin Atacious. I believe my brother

Hermes was to take you to your brother."

"Yes," Atacious said in quiet response. "Thank you."

"Come along, Cousin. We must hurry. The sun is falling and I must soon be back to guiding the moon

across the horizon." the woman, Artemis, said.

The two girls finally reached the edge of the forest and entered the capital city of Atacious' family's

kingdom. Atacious took a sketch of her family that she has had for as long as she could remember out of a sash

on her dress and compared it to a mural on the castle's wall. The man and the boy looked very similar, and the

woman was holding a small red-headed girl. All of the sudden, a tall man walked out onto the balcony of the

castle.

"Dear citizens," the man said, addressing the crowd below him, "I, your king, must raise your taxes once

more. I do hope you are not inconvenienced. I also would like to announce to you all that I am holding a contest.

Those women who wish to, may enter themselves in a contest to become my wife." The crowd cheered wearily.

"Cousin, I know that I must be going, but I do believe that becoming Queen would be a grand way to

regain power," Artemis said as she left Atacious.

* * *

The next day the contest was held and many handsome women were entered, but Artemis had cast upon

Atacious god-like beauty. When Atacious entered the throne room of the king, he knew from her beauty that she

was the one for him. "Let there be no more contestants! I have found my bride! Let us be wed at once!" the king

said happily.

The night after her wedding, Atacious took her trident into her new chambers with her brother. She

held it behind her back, and when he beckoned her to bed, she pulled the trident from behind her. "Calm down.

What is wrong with you?" Daleous asked her sternly.

"Wrong with me, Brother?" Atacious asked in an outrage.

"Brother? What do you mean by that Woman?" Daleous asked, his anger rising.

"Do you not recognize me, Brother? Is beauty all you care about?" she asked him as she raised her

trident to his chest. He raised his hands as an expression that he was at a loss for words. "How beautiful are you

now?" she said as she thrust the trident through her brother.

"I should not have chosen you," he said as he coughed blood, "You are far to bright to be Queen." With

that the king took his last breath and slumped onto his bed.

"I do believe that was a compliment," Atacious said with a smile.

* * *

Atacious was crowned Queen soon after that and then traveled back to her cottage by the sea for a visit.

Outside of the cottage, Athena appeared to Atacious.

"Atacious, daughter of Poseidon, for murdering my chosen king, you shall face my wrath all of your

days," Athena said angrily. Atacious lived in fear of Athena all of her life. She was constantly stricken with

illness. She never married. Atacious lived alone in her castle, improving her kingdom, all of her life. When she

died, Athena had made a deal with Hades to put Atacious in the depths of Tartarus with Sisyphus and Tantalus.


End file.
